diy solar

diy solar

All in One System like MPP Solar.

Prone2wander

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Jul 1, 2021
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I'm looking for other all in one systems that I just add a battery to. I am looking at a modest 12 volt system and the
MPP Solar PIP-1012LV-MS seems to fit the bill but I am looking for other options. I am aware of other higher voltage models but that is beyond my needs. Any help is appreciated. Jeff​
 
in order to make sure you get "helpful" advice, you probably need to post a little bit about what you actually plan on powering and what power sources (solar, grid, generator, etc.) you plan on using.

In some cases, actually buying a "all-in-one" such as a bluetti may make sense (well, not for me as I am a crazy DIY person so the answer is always DIY even if it costs twice as much hehe)
 
Thanks for the feedback. I am not a DIY person which is why I'm looking an all in one system. I decided to skip Jackery, Bluetti etc. because I wanted more battery and the MPP Solar system seems to be the best solution but that is the only 12v system I have seen. My main need is to power 200ah battery so I can run my fridge, Ebike with 48v 14ah battery that draws 2 amps, laptop, and phone while camping for weeks at a time. I suspect my needs will grow to maybe include light, fan, etc. I currently have 160 watts in solar panels which are Sunpower flexible panels that I bought along with Genasun charge controller to power my ebike while I ride but will use for my minivan until I get them mounted on my bike. When the time comes I will add a larger panel on the roof of my van.
Thanks, again!
 
In the end one critical issue will be how long you camp at one site.

Until this last year I've been spending the winters camping in Mexico, way, way off-grid, for 3 months at a time. I have a 1982 Vanagon camper, and I tend to stay at one place for a week or more at a time (gas is more expensive in Mexico than California!), I don't do a lot of running around once I'm camped. For most of that I had 200 watts of solar and a 150 amp hour battery. My loads were a small 12 volt Danfoss compressor fridge that uses 24 watts when it's running, LED lights and a laptop at night, not a lot else. Even in sunny Mexico I found that there were many times where after several days in a camp site my battery would be getting low, a couple of cloudy days can really sap your reserves. If I drove an hour or two to another site the battery would recharge and I'd be good to start over, but if I was staying in one place it would be an issue.

Last year I upgraded the battery to 280 amp hours and put two more panels on for 400w of solar. I feel comfortable that would handle my needds, but unfortunately haven't had a chance to try it out.

Just saying, don't forget to plan for a couple of days of overcast weather, unless you're driving every day or two. You always need more panels than you think you do, and they're dirt cheap at the moment.
 
well lets start with some napkin math.

200ah battery *12v = 2400wh. divide that by 5hrs of sun a day and 2400/5 = 480w

So unless you plan on having ~500w of solar your expectation of performance out of the system does not meet the reality of the currently plan.
 
Yes I know I'm short on power long term. But I am doing it peace meal. My plan is too eventually add 300w + on van roof. The stumbling block is you are not supposed to mix and match batteries of different ages. So you have to buy all at once.
But back to my original question. Is there any other all in one system like the MP Solar in my original post? I'm trying to explore other options.
Thanks again for all your input.
 
I built out a Chevy Express and used a 1800 W EcoFlow Delta and 4 x 100W panels. Charged my eBike up to 2 times a day which take a little over 2 hrs and draws 172 W until the last 10 mins which drops to 53W. In summer months it worked fine but in winter it was under powered. The only problem I saw with it was the need for more battery storage or a low cost solution to ad on which they don't have. They want you to buy another one and hook them together. Had 12v refer, lights, usbs, water pump all running at times throughout the day & night.
I am no expert but would suggest pushing the max you can safely into your all in one. Good luck and enjoy the time outside

I've sold the van and waiting for my Promaster which I will build my own system. My heads hurts just researching this upcoming project
 
I built out a Chevy Express and used a 1800 W EcoFlow Delta and 4 x 100W panels. Charged my eBike up to 2 times a day which take a little over 2 hrs and draws 172 W until the last 10 mins which drops to 53W. In summer months it worked fine but in winter it was under powered. The only problem I saw with it was the need for more battery storage or a low cost solution to ad on which they don't have. They want you to buy another one and hook them together. Had 12v refer, lights, usbs, water pump all running at times throughout the day & night.
I am no expert but would suggest pushing the max you can safely into your all in one. Good luck and enjoy the time outside

I've sold the van and waiting for my Promaster which I will build my own system. My heads hurts just researching this upcoming project
How did you have the 12v appliances (such as your lights, USBs, and especially your water pump) connected to your EcoFlow? I bought a 12v shurflo water pump that came hardwired with a red and black wire and am unsure how to make that a connection to plug into my ecoflow. I have seen people talk about hooking up their 12v appliances to EcoFlows and other solar generators, but I haven't had much luck finding any videos/posts explaining how to do it.

Thanks in advance!
 
How did you have the 12v appliances (such as your lights, USBs, and especially your water pump) connected to your EcoFlow?
Which Ecoflow do you have? Many of them have a 12 volt Anderson Plug or a 12 volt "cigarette" power plug. The Anderson connection on a Delta Pro can put out 12.6 volts at up to 30amps.
 
Which Ecoflow do you have? Many of them have a 12 volt Anderson Plug or a 12 volt "cigarette" power plug. The Anderson connection on a Delta Pro can put out 12.6 volts at up to 30amps.
I have the Delta Max as well, this is music to my ears, I was having a mini panic attack thinking I wasn't going to be able to power anything that was hardwired/DC. Would I just house all my hardwired connections into a fuse box and then use the cigarette lighter power plug to power that?
 
So yes. You could pull up to 10 amps out of the "car power outlet" Delta Max and up to 3 amps out of the two 5521 outlets combined. However I would use this in a pinch and get a decent 12v Lifepo4 battery instead. You will be suprised how quickly the 10 amps add up. In my house, I have a 12v circuit powering the internet, smart home and various lights and it easily uses 4 amps before I starting turning on the lights that add 1.5 amps each.

Start by checking the amperage of your water pump.
 
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